Biography
Like many of us, Steve Santarsiero was profoundly affected by the events of September 11th. From his office window, Steve bore witness to the attack. It was at that moment that he vowed not to focus on the tragedy, but instead to reaffirm his commitment to what our nation stands for. He left his successful legal profession to become a local school teacher.
Shortly after, Steve was called to action on behalf of his local community. In 2002, Steve became a leader in the grassroots movement to stop the proposed big-box store shopping center on the Matrix property in Lower Makefield, serving as chairman of Residents Against Matrix. His actions made a difference. The proposed shopping center was not built.
In 2003, Steve Santarsiero was elected to the Lower Makefield Board of Supervisors, where he quickly became a leader on a wide-range of issues, such as preserving open space, protecting the environment, making local government more open and accessible and protecting our children from sex offenders. Despite being the only Democrat on the board, Steve quickly became a leader who reached across party lines to focus on getting the job done. He became chairman of the board in 2006.
On November 4, 2008, after knocking on more than 10,000 doors in the Yardley-Newtown area to meet residents, hear their concerns, and explain his platform, Steve was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In the short time that he has served in the Legislature, Steve has worked to bring over 200 new jobs to the Newtown-Yardley area that he represents. He has become a leader in the fights for government reform and protecting the Commonwealth’s environmental resources. He has also led the fight over a proposed New Jersey law that would require New Jersey’s public sector employees to live in the Garden State, potentially forcing thousands of Pennsylvania families to have to choose between their homes and their jobs.
Steve is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Tufts University and Holy Family University. He lives with his wife, Ronni, and their children, Nancy, 12, Billy, 10, and Johnny, 6, in Lower Makefield, where he coaches youth baseball. His wife, Ronni, is a lawyer and former Girl Scout troop leader.